AAP dares cops on farmer sword attack - released pictures of alleged BJP supporters who attacked the protesting farmers

Party spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj alleges that police protected BJP goons who attacked the agitators

Police pin down a farmer who they said had attacked an inspector with a sword.: (PTI picture)

Pheroze L. Vincent   |   TT   |   New Delhi   |    31.01.21  : The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday released pictures of alleged BJP supporters saying they had described themselves as residents of Dakha Singhu and attacked the protesting farmers on Friday.

At a news conference, MLA and party spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj offered to resign from the Assembly if it was proved that a farmer had indeed attacked a Delhi police inspector with a sword.

A Delhi police statement on Friday had said: “While the Insp. Pradeep, SHO PS Alipur, was pacifying the farmers to stop stone pelting from their side, he was suddenly attacked by a sword-wielding person, who was subsequently overpowered and apprehended from the spot.”

The police statement added: “The officer sustained grievous sword injuries and other 5 police persons were also injured.”

A 22-year-old Punjab resident named Ranjeet Singh was arrested from the spot and charged with offences that include attempt to murder.

In response to a question about his party’s stand on the sword attack, Bharadwaj said: “I want Delhi police to release the video which shows how the farmer was attacked, where did the farmer attack. I will resign as an MLA if proved wrong.”

He alleged: “The police protected BJP goons who attacked the farmers. The police saved the attackers and helped them flee. This farmer (Ranjeet) chased the attackers. The police caught him... and all the cops pounced on this farmer with their lathis and mercilessly beat him.

“When did he strike — I did not see in the (ANI) video (purportedly of the incident).”

The AAP has released images of three men — whom it has identified as Pradeep Khatri Tholedar, Aman Kumar and Sudama Singh — from the footage of the brawl along with other pictures and their Facebook profile photos that suggest they are BJP activists.

A recent poster describes Tholedar as the BJP Kisan Morcha president of northwest Delhi. Kumar is the husband of BJP municipal councillor Anju Devi and has been seen in BJP events in the past.

Naveen Kumar, media head of the Delhi BJP, neither confirmed nor denied the trio’s party membership.

He told The Telegraph: “No BJP worker is involved.... None of our elected representatives have gone to these protests.... When the police tried to remove these protesters who indulged in violence on Republic Day, AAP was standing with these protesters. AAP MLA Sahi Ram is seen in photos of the January 26 protests.”

Bharadwaj said: “More than 2,500 Delhi police officials and central force (personnel) were present at the venue. On the instructions of the BJP, these police officials allowed BJP goons to enter the protest site and assault the farmers. The police are not allowing water tankers to reach the protest venue but have allowed the BJP goons.”

He added: “In a planned manner, the BJP goons kept stones in two trucks near the venue which they used. In front of the police and with the help of the police these around 300 BJP goons assaulted the farmers.”

In Friday’s statement, the police claimed that local people had come to meet the farmers to “press for the local demand that the protesters vacate the said space and open the border and said that they have been providing all kind of help to the protesters for the last 2 months but now their livelihood is getting affected, hence they are requested to open the border and vacate the road. They came yesterday also with the same request. This was resisted by some farmers and pushing-pulling of the police barricades kept to secure the langar tents ensued. During this stone pelting started.”

The police had on Friday said they had arrested 44 people after six personnel including inspector Pradeep, the Alipur station house officer, were injured during a clash between “local villagers” and “some farmers” at the Singhu border. At least 15 farmers too were injured.